Intercultural Immersions
The intercultural immersion requirement at Wesley is an integral part of the M.Div. degree plan, addressing the mission of the church in the world and preparing seminarians for compassionate church leadership.
Given the COVID-19 pandemic, the Continuing Education Committee has expanded the M.Div.’s Intercultural Immersion requirement so that it can be satisfied in a variety of ways besides physically travelling. For an experimental two-year period of time, the Intercultural Immersion requirement will now be a praxeological area requirement that can be satisfied by a number of ways, most involving two academic credits:
MM-350 Intercultural Immersion (for those trips we end up actually offering) OR
CM-409 & 410 Community Engagement Fellows Seminar (pertains to completion of the project) OR
ES-497 NCSS Social Ethics Internship OR
PC-491 or PC-493 Clinical Pastoral Education OR
CM-531 Samuel Dewitt Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry OR
MM-425, 426 or 429 (elective PMM if offered) OR
Successful completion of the Hispanic Summer Program.
Also, students engaged in our study abroad programs will be considered to have met this requirement.
This is retroactive, so any student with any of these options already in his or her transcript will be understood to have already satisfied this requirement, though you may certainly participate in more than one of these options according to your individual interests. This expanded curricular requirement will be in place for two years so as to include everyone matriculating under the current catalog or next year’s catalog in addition to all current students.
All M.Div. students are encouraged to consult with Nick Works in the PMM Office concerning their satisfaction of this requirement. Students for whom this more relaxed requirement is still a burden because of family responsibilities or health issues are particularly encouraged to consult with Nick Works. Exceptional cases may be granted a waiver for the sake of protecting the health and safety of the student or of the student’s loved ones, particularly if a degree intercultural competence or experience can also be demonstrated; the Contextual Education Committee along with the PMM office will act on any such requests.
Students are required to participate in an orientation session prior to the immersion and a debriefing session after the experience. Students must also complete a reflection paper and submit a project proposal, which integrates their experience into their theological studies in the classroom.
Grading will be on a pass/fail basis. Immersion leaders will assess each student's experience and indicate to the PMM office whether or not the student fully participated in the experience offered. Grading elements include participation in both the orientation and debriefing sessions in addition to completing the two-part integrative written assignments.
PLEASE NOTE: M.Div. students who have completed 24 credit hours will be given first priority for immersions. M.Div. students who have not completed 24 credit hours should seek permission from the PM&M office to participate in an intercultural immersion. Matriculating students who are enrolled in other degree programs at Wesley will then be given priority along with students from the Washington Theological Consortium and other academic institutions with which Wesley Theological Seminary has a reciprocal relationship.
Got questions? Please contact Nick at NWorks@WesleySeminary.edu
